Heaven vs Hell: Hell on Earth
by The Wolf King
Summary: Part 1 of a trilogy. During a war between Earth and Corneria, Krystal is captured and taken to Earth, where yet another war begins to unfold...
1. Character Bios and Prologue

Bane here with my latest story. I decided to take a short break from my Star Wars fic Randomology, but don't worry, I intend to finish it. What you are about to read is a list of the members of Death's Angels, a team of demon hunters appearing in the trilogy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Fox, but I do own the following characters. No one else can use them without my permission. (Seriously, if you want to use any of my characters in a story, let me know. I'll let you know if I think it's OK.)

Death's Angels

Dante Roric

Age: 25

Species: Human

Weapon of Choice: Samurai sword

Bio: Dante grew up in Rockwell City, California where his father was a demon hunter. At the age of 13, his parents were killed by a demon who called himself Rygar. Dante became a demon hunter for the sole purpose of revenge. His skill with a blade is legendary.

Silver Roric

Age: 19

Species: Human

Weapon of Choice: Twin blades

Bio: Dante's younger brother. He was only 7 when his parents were murdered, so when Dante told him the details, he eagerly followed his brother in his quest for vengeance. Despite the fact that he's the youngest member of the team his strength is undeniable.

Cyrus MacDougal

Age: 25

Species: Human

Weapon of Choice: Halberd

Bio: Dante's best friend. When he heard about Dante's situation, he immediately joined him. His most admirable trait is his determination.

Kane Wilder

Age: 32

Species: Human

Weapon of Choice: Shotgun

Bio: A former commando for the Earth Army. When the war with Corneria started, he refused to fight and deserted. While being hunted down by government agents, he sought refuge in Rockwell and met Dante. His military expertise is a valuable asset to the team.

Ivan Stekhov

Age: 28

Species: Human

Weapon of Choice: Glaive

Bio: Ivan is a Russian-born demon hunter who immigrated to the U.S to avoid being drafted into the military. While looking for work, he heard about Dante's team, which had been operating for about 3 years and had become famous. (A/N Dante didn't actually start demon hunting until he was 19. Maybe I should've mentioned that earlier.) Despite that Ivan is a serious demon hunter, he's pretty smooth with the ladies, and has a bit of a wise-ass attitude.

Phoenix Davis

Age: 29

Species: (That should be obvious from the first name.)

Weapon of Choice: Battle Axe

Bio: Phoenix was a pilot for the Venomian Remnant, which chose to assist Earth when the war started. During a dogfight in Earth's outer atmosphere, he took severe damage to his engines and crash-landed outside of Rockwell, and was attacked by demons soon after. When the Death's Angels arrived to investigate, they rescued Phoenix, and he offered to join the team out of gratitude.

Mira Scarlette

Age: 25

Species: Siberian Husky

Weapon of Choice: Kunai

Bio: Mira was a rookie pilot for the Cornerian Army when her squadron was ordered to attack Rockwell. Not wanting to kill civilians, she landed inside the city and offered to surrender. Luckily, Rockwell was a city that opposed the war, so the locals let her stay in the city. (Earth pilots fended off the rest of the squadron.) At this time, Death's Angels had been active for 6 years, and were the most famous demon hunters on the West Coast.

She was invited to join a few days after landing in the city.

**Prologue**

There had been high tension between the planets of Earth and Corneria. It had been like that for years. The two worlds seemed to have a mutual feeling of animosity for each other. Then, one day, a group of space pirates from Earth attacked a Cornerian military supply craft, and Corneria declared war on Earth. The war has been raging for a good 4 years now.

Unbeknownst to many, though, another war was being waged. A war between demons and those who hunt them. The demons come a dimension parallel to ours, which many refer to as the "Dead Zone", or "Dark Side." Rifts have been known to open, allowing demons passage into our world, but as of now they've been opening more frequently, and more powerful demons have coming through. And they all seem to have the same intent: kill any living being they encounter.

Dante Roric and his team of demon hunters, known as Death's Angels, are soldiers in this war, fighting not only to protect the people of Earth, but ultimately, the people of the universe.

So, what did you think? I decided to re-work some of my original ideas, because I thought the original ideas sucked. : P Reviews and ideas are greatly appreciated.

Also, for all you guys who want to see something funny, check out my other fic, Randomology, which I mentioned earlier. Also check out The Misunderstood Asylum, written by my good friend Sol-Ratcht Saporro. They're both really funny. Also, all you Tales of Symphonia fans, be on the lookout for my upcoming fic, The Chronicles of a Red-Haired Madman. It will scare the hell out of you.


	2. The Call

Hey, Bane here with the first official chapter of Heaven vs. Hell. I would like to thank everybody who reviewed. I would also like to take this time to respond to said reviews:

Sol-Ratcht Saporro- I don't intend to give up. Thanks for your support. I appreciate it.

Tobias- You get your wish, buddy.

Silver Meta Dragon- Thanks, dude. Glad you like the idea.

Hybrid Theory Soldier- You think you're reeeeaaalll funny, doncha? Anyway, thanks for the review, John. (Haha! Revenge is mine!)

Bloc Manitoban- To be honest, I think it might be difficult, too. So I'll take it kinda slow.

Adriana Dimitriov- Thanks. I'd really appreciate any ideas you have. And I'm glad you like my idea.

Fox JD- Glad you think so. Here's that update you wanted.

Hand of Blades- Wait no longer!

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Fox, but I do own any OC's appearing in this story.

**The Call**

The _Great Fox_ drifted lazily through space. It had been about a year since the Aparoid War had ended, and a lot had happened since then. For one, they had gotten a new ship to act as the _Great Fox. _(Incidentally, it looked identical to the old one.) Falco's old girlfriend Katt Monroe showed up out of nowhere and asked to join the team. (She said so she could help them in case something as bad as the Aparoids showed up, but the rest of the team thought she just missed Falco.) And also Fox and Krystal got married about a month after they destroyed the Aparoid homeworld. They took Tricky's advice and honeymooned on Sauria. But all this was nothing compared to what was yet to come.

The team was returning to Corneria after a day of routine patrolling and the team was bored as hell. They sat idly on the bridge as the ship drifted towards the planet. Falco was asleep in chair, snoring loudly. After several hours of this, Slippy couldn't stand it anymore, and hurled an empty soda can at him, nailing the avian square in the side of the head. He woke up abruptly and fell out of his seat, causing the rest of the team to laugh loudly. "Well that was easily the most exciting thing that's happened all day." said Krystal still giggling at Falco, who got up the floor and glared at Slippy.

"You know, Slippy, you can be a real ass sometimes." Slippy continued to laugh and said in a mock-sympathetic voice "Aw, sorry Falco. Did I hurt you?" The others laughed at this statement, but were cut short when ROB said "Incoming transmission from General Pepper." Everybody's attention immediately turned to the automaton. "Patch him through, ROB." said Fox. "'Bout time we got a new assignment." said Falco. "Yeah," agreed Katt "I haven't seen any action since I joined."

A holographic image of the General's head appeared. "Greetings, team. I have a new mission for you…" "Hallelujah!" exclaimed Falco, raising his arms in celebration. Pepper looked at Falco for a moment and said "As I was saying," he looked at Falco again. "I have a new mission for you. I'm assuming you're all familiar with the war currently being waged between Corneria and the planet Earth, correct?" Everybody nodded. "What I don't get is why you haven't already sent us out to help the Cornerians." said Slippy. "That war's been going on for four years. If we were there, we could've ended it in four weeks!" "I know, Slippy," replied the General "but the humans have a relatively small military. Our fleets have kept the war in our favor. But now it seems that it would be a good time for you to go help our troops." "I'm lost." said Falco. "Remember when you fought Oikonny and his fleet during the Aparoid War?" "Yeah," said Fox "but what do they have to do with anything?" "Much. You see, we have recently discovered evidence that the Venomians have been aiding the humans secretly. Supplying them with weapons and that sort of thing. Around the time the Aparoid War started, the humans were weakening significantly. Oikonny noticed this, and sent some of his fleet to Earth, and at the same time launched his "rebellion", which was actually meant to distract us. It worked. We received a transmission from one of the commanders saying that a group of Venomian warships appeared suddenly out of slipspace and attacked them from behind."

"Slimy bastards…" muttered Falco angrily. "I suppose we shouldn't expect any less from them." said Katt. "Yes, a cowardly move indeed." agreed the General. "Because of that, the enemy have our forces caught in a pincer attack. The humans attacking from the front, the Venomians attacking from the rear. We'd need you five to focus your attack on the Venomians first. Just cause enough damage to make them scatter. Or wipe them out them completely. Whichever works for you." "I vote for the second option." said Falco, raising his hand. "How much does this pay, anyway General?" asked Fox. "If you're successful, then you will receive 500,000 credits." "I'm havin' a heart attack over here…" said Falco, clutching his chest. "Falco," said Krystal "would you do us all a favor and shut up?" "Yes, please." said Slippy rubbing his temples. (Or whatever a toad has.) Fox turned his attention back to the General. "When do you want us to leave?" "As soon as possible." Fox nodded. "Gotcha. We'll leave now." "Good luck, team." said General before the hologram disappeared. "ROB, set coordinates and prepare for the jump into slipspace." "Affirmative." "Finally," said Katt "my first mission with the team." "Jump to slipspace commencing in approximately ten seconds." said ROB. The team tensed in their seats as the countdown commenced. …three…two…one…

After the one flashed on the screen, the ship's warp engines powered up and launched the ship into slipspace, and the Star Fox team disappeared among the stars.

So, what do you guys think? I'm open to any suggestions you guys have, so if you have any ideas you think would go well with the story, please let me know. And of course, please review.


	3. The Battle Begins

Sorry for the delay, but I've had a nasty case of writer's block. I'm over it now, so I'm here with the goods. :) Of course, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed:

Adriana Dimitriov- Thanks for the reviews. I'll take care of your gripes in the Side Notes.

Silver Meta Dragon- Sorry if I screwed up your plans, dude.

doom- No, I haven't played any of the Doom games.

Sol-Ratcht Saporro- Thank you very much. Are you a Katt hater?

Fox JD- Thanks for putting me on your Favorites list. Just so you know the fight will be held in Earth's solar system.

Hand of Blades- Oh, some ass is gonna get kicked, all right…

Black Swordsman342- Thanks for the overview.

unknown- Earth is already teamed up with Venom.

Shayne- Thanks dude. I really appreciate that.

chitoryu12- If you think it won't scare you, go check it out for yourself. You think this is a potential winner, huh? Thanks.

Aphotica- Thanks for the suggestion. :) And yes, Falco is one angry bird.

Tobias- Continuing!

Ben Stylin- I'll be sure to keep that in mind.

Side Notes: For all of you wondering where Peppy is, he retired. To all you Peppy fans I'm terribly, terribly sorry. However, Slippy programmed ROB to provide tactical aid in a fight, so he's pretty much filling in for Peppy. ROB fans rejoice!

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Fox. But it would be so awesome if I did.

**The Battle Begins**

The _Great Fox _came out of slipspace in Earth's solar system, a good distance from the Venomian warships. The team was already in their Arwings, ready to launch. "All wings report." said Fox.

"Slippy here. All systems go."

"Falco here. I'm fine."

"Krystal here. I'm ready."

"Katt here. Ready to rock."

"Okay, launch!" yelled Fox. The five fighters shot out of the _Great Fox_'s hangar and sped towards the Venomian fleet. Unfortunately, they noticed them and sent out a squadron of starfighters to intercept them.

"Here comes the welcome wagon." said Falco.

"Alright, you guys know what to do." said Fox.

The team flew head on into the swarm, their Arwings' cannons blazing. They tore through the enemy fighters with ease. In about three minutes flat, there were none left. Falco yawned. "Too easy." "Don't get complacent, Falco." warned Fox. "Alright, alright. Geez…"

The team flew towards the enemy warships and began their assault, tearing three of them apart in no time flat. "Damn, these guys are real pushovers." remarked Katt as she brought down a fourth ship. Soon they were attacked by another swarm of enemy fighters. "Persistent, aren't they?" sighed Krystal. They proceeded to destroy the incoming fighters, but, as always, three of them started chasing Slippy. And, of course, Slippy panicked.

"Dammit! Not again!" he yelled, trying desperately to evade his pursuers. Fox sighed and blasted the fighters behind Slippy. "Thanks, Fox!" "No problem, Slip - up." Fox was used to this by now. It was practically his job to get keep Slippy out of trouble.

After a heated ten minutes, they had wiped out a good deal of the Venomian warships, causing the survivors to scatter. "How much easier can this get?" Falco asked no one in particular. "Falco, you're doing it again…" said Fox. Falco sighed. "Sorry."

The team flew towards the Cornerian fleet, which looked as though it had taken a serious beating. A male voice came over the Arwings' Comms as they approached. "Good to see you guys. We were wondering when Pepper was going to send you."

"How are you guys holding up, Commander?" asked Fox.

"Fine, now. Thanks for taking care of those Venomians. But we have another problem. See that line of smaller ships just ahead of us?" They looked out and saw a group of about twenty silver-grey ships. They were triangle-like in shape, and had guns mounted on the wings and in the front. They had two thrusters each, on top of which were two large fins. Basically they looked like B-2 bombers on steroids.

"They may not look like much, but they've been giving us no end of trouble." continued the Commander.

"What are they, exactly?" asked Slippy. "B-class light gunships codenamed 'Arrowheads'. Those wing-mounted guns have a killer range, and they're powerful to boot. Think you can take 'em?"

"Hell yeah!" was Falco's immediate response.

Fox sighed. "There he goes again…" Then Krystal said, "You know Falco, I'm surprised that you get your Arwing to take off with that gigantic head of yours weighing it down." Everyone laughed loudly at this. Everyone except Falco. "Can we just go already?" he asked, his annoyance evident.

They flew towards the Arrowheads, and as they approached, a voice rang out over the Comms. "Attention Cornerian fighter pilots. You are entering our airspace. Stand down or we will open fire."

"Bite me!" yelled Falco before firing a nova bomb. The bomb hit one of the Arrowheads, incinerating it instantly. Before the other ships could react, the rest of the Star Fox team each fired a nova bomb, taking out four more gunships. "These guys are pathetic!" said Slippy. "You sound just like Falco." said Katt. "Will everyone please get off my back already!" Falco yelled.

In no time flat, the remaining gunships were wiped out. They sped towards the rest of the humans' fleet, where several reddish-brown capital ships could be seen mingling with the silver-grey. "Damn. Looks like the surviving Venomians still want to fight." said Fox. "If they want to die, let's grant their wish." said Falco. The rest of the team, though shocked that Falco had actually said something that wasn't egotistical, flew to meet the enemy.

The battle became more intense with each passing minute. The humans had a small fleet, but the ships were well-shielded and well-armed. The _Great Fox _eventually came in to provide cover fire. After a while though, the enemy fleet seemed to weaken. Seeing this, the Cornerian fleet came in and began their assault. It looked as though the war would finally end…until something very unfortunate happened.

Cliffhanger! Sorry guys. Had to do it. Just a few notes: first off, all you Tales of Symphonia fans should check out my latest fic, "The Chronicles of a Red-Haired Madman." According to my reviewers, it's good. :) Second, I'm going on vacation, and won't be able to update for about a week. So sorry. Really. But I'll be back with new chapters for this and my other fics. Maybe even a new fic altogether. And of course, review please.


	4. Prisoner

I'm back! Sorry for the delay. Before I begin, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed:

Sol-Ratcht Saporro- Again, I'm sorry about Peppy. And it doesn't matter to me if you're a Katt hater.

Silver Meta Dragon- How could I? I just could. :)

Lone Wolfs Darkness- Thanks dude.

Hybrid Theory Soldier- You'll get your action. And what do you mean by "back-story"?

Ichibod Ricct- So, in other words, you don't care?

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Fox, etc.

**Prisoner**

Things seemed to be going well for the Cornerian fleet. Victory seemed imminent, and it looked like the war would finally be over. That is, until a large green bolt of plasma suddenly came out of nowhere and vaporized one of the Cornerian ships. Two more bolts followed, and two more ships fell. The Star Fox team and the other Cornerian fighter pilots searched frantically for the attacker. A large ship materialized out of nowhere. It was silver-grey like the other ship in the human fleet, and was armed with several large cannons.

"What the hell is that?" Katt asked.

"That is one big sonuva-" started Falco before he was cut off by another blast from the enemy ship. Another Cornerian ship went down.

"ROB, could you run a quick scan of this thing?" asked Fox somewhat nervously.

"Scanning…" said ROB in his monotone voice. A moment later, "Scan complete. Enemy ship is a _Leviathan_-class destroyer. Equipped with unknown as well illegal modifications."

Falco was nothing short of outraged at this news. "Illegal! These guys are fightin' dirty!"

"Chill, beak-brain." said Slippy. "What do they got on 'em ROB?" "Scan shows four types of illegal ballistic missiles and a Black Veil."

"What in God's name is a Black Veil?" asked Falco. Slippy cleared his throat. "A type of cloaking device that not only makes the ship invisible to the naked eye, but also jams any kind of radar or tracking systems within a wide area, making it impossible to find."

"Well, now that we cansee it, let's take it down!" yelled Falco, speeding off to attack the giant ship. "And you actually like him?" Fox asked Katt. The feline ignored this and flew off after Falco.

After several minutes of pounding the ship with everything they had (Falco ran out of nova bombs), it still stood, barely scratched at all. Frustrated, Fox asked ROB, "ROB, scan this thing for a weak spot." "Scanning…no weaknesses detected."

"Dammit!" yelled Falco "What is this thing made of!"

"Calm down, Falco." said Fox "There has to be some way to destroy it…"

The battle continued, the two fleets were going at each other and the Star Fox team was futilely trying to destroy the monstrous enemy ship. Things looked like they couldn't get any worse. That is until Krystal's Arwing stopped dead.

"Agh! I'm stuck!" she said. "Krystal, are you OK?" asked Fox anxiously. "I'm fine. My Arwing's just not moving." She then noticed something strange. Her Arwing wasn't moving, but not forward. It was moving upward. She looked out of the Arwing canopy and saw what looked like a transport ship, it's bay doors were open and the Arwing was moving towards it, seemingly of it's own will.

"I'm caught in a tractor beam!" she yelled, obviously scared out of her mind. "Hang on, I'm coming!" said Fox, equally as scared. Before he could reach her, however, a group of enemy fighters flew at him at full speed, and he veered off to avoid collision. "Don't worry, Fox, I got it!" said Slippy. As he approached the transport, a blast from the destroyer clipped his starboard wing. "Yeow! I'm hit!" And with that, his Arwing spiraled off. Falco sighed as he watched Slippy's fighter spin out of control, sparks flying from the ruined wing. He attempted to try to save Krystal, but it was too late. Her fighter was pulled into the transport and the bay doors closed. The transport turned around and flew towards Earth. Fox flew after it, but was swarmed by more enemy fighters. He watched helplessly as the ship made it's entrance into the atmosphere.

So, what do you guys think? Sorry it took so long. Your reviews are greatly appreciated.

Anyways, before I go, here's a few promos: Be sure to check out Wild Black Fur and Office Space, both written by good friend Ichibod Ricct. Also, check out Dreams of the Past, Visions of times yet to come by Nalia Windsong. They're all awesome stories.


	5. Dante

Fenrir here. Before we begin, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed and respond:

Ichibod Ricct- Of course they'd want to read your junk. You're a genius. Shocked, huh? Riiiiight…

Silver Meta Dragon- You do? You do?

Sol-Ratcht Saporro- I hope you enjoyed your stay, 'cause I think you're gonna have to come back to Earth.

doom- At some point in Part 2 of the trilogy.

unknown- Thank you, and they will make their debut in this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Fox, but I do own Dante.

**Dante**

Fox watched as the transport sped out of sight. The Commander's voice came over the Comm. "Fox, we're getting murdered out here! We have to pull back!" Fox ignored him. Falco's voice then came over the Comm. "We'll find a way to rescue her, Fox. But we gotta get out of here or we're all gonna get killed." Fox still said nothing. Falco got slightly annoyed. "C'mon, Fox!" Fox sighed. "Alright…"

(On board the transport)

Krystal got out of her Arwing and came face-to-face with about twenty humans armed with AK-47's. All pointed at her. She raised her paws slowly. As she looked at the humans, she felt something wasn't right. One human stepped to the front. He had a scrubby brown beard and cold, dark eyes that didn't seem to suit him. He chuckled softly to himself, then spoke to the others without taking his eyes off Krystal.

"Well, gentlemen," he said "Looks like we got the right one."

(Rockwell City, California)

In the living room of a large two-story house just on the edge of the city, two people watched the late breaking news of the capture of a Cornerian fighter pilot. One was a lean, slightly muscular human with lightly tanned skin, dark brown eyes and shoulder-length jet-black hair tied back in a ponytail. He also sported a thin goatee and three silver rings in each earlobe and wore a black sleeveless shirt, black jeans and black boots. His companion was a tall powerfully built avian with bright red-orange feathers that seemed to emanate a strange glow. He had bright yellow eyes and wore a plain white t-shirt, baggy brown pants and black boots. The avian looked at the human, who appeared to be lost in thought.

"Hey, Dante, you okay?" he asked. Dante continued to stare at the TV screen. "Dante?" Dante jerked out of his reverie and looked at his friend. "Something wrong, Phoenix?" he asked.

"Yeah, you looked like you were thinking so hard, I'm surprised smoke wasn't coming out of your ears. What's up?"

"Isn't this the first case of a Cornerian being captured?"

"Yeah…"

"Doesn't that strike you as odd at all?"

"Well it does seem weird for your military to do something like this. They just kill 'em."

"Exactly. Something doesn't feel right. Isn't the ship landing in the desert a few miles away from the city?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Dante got up and walked towards a closet. He pulled out a black trench coat and pulled it on. "I'm going to check it out."

"Want me to come with?" asked Phoenix. Dante strapped a samurai sword to his belt and said "I'll be alright."

"Suit yourself."

"If anyone asks where I am, tell them I went out to get some air."

"Whatever you say, boss."

"See you later." Phoenix gave him a brief wave as he walked out the front door. Dante walked over to a sleek black motorcycle in front of the house. He hopped on and blasted towards the city limits. He zoomed along until he saw a silver-grey transport ship landing a few yards away. He got off the motorcycle and watched the ship touch down. A ramp came down from the front and he saw several figures emerging. One, he saw, was a blue-furred vixen. _Why does she look familiar? _Dante thought to himself. Three humans detached themselves from the group and walked over. One of them had a scrubby brown beard. "Ah, hello Dante." he said.

"Captain Gowers." said Dante somewhat stiffly. "Oh, come on Dante. We're old friends. You can just call me Andrew." Dante nodded. "Nice try, demon." Gowers raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" "Please. I know for a fact that Captain Gowers' first name is Samuel." The fake Gowers scowled.

"Not bad." he said, this time in a low, ethereal voice. Gowers was replaced by an otherwordly creature that was black-purple in color and had skinny arms and legs. It had a long snout and blazing red eyes. "It doesn't matter what his name was. He tasted delicious all the same." Dante stared at the demon for a moment, then his hand flew to the hilt of his sword and he drew it and severed the creature's head. All in the space of about half a second. The other two humans had turned into demons and morphed dragonish wings from their backs. They jumped high and flew at Dante. Dante crouched and swung his sword in a wide upward arc as they descended, cutting them both cleanly in half through the waist. He got up and noticed the others had stopped to watch. And he knew full well that they were disguised demons. He raised his sword and rushed at them.

Fight scene next chapter. (Obviously.) Review pleeze!


	6. Demon Slayer

New chapter. How awesome is that? Before we begin, well, take a guess:

Ichibod Ricct- Well, yeah. All my chapters are written.

Silver Meta Dragon- Hehe. I just like messing with people.

DestinyGuy678- I believe I have it explained in the Prologue.

unknown- Freaky? Not what I was going for, but thanks for the review.

doom- That's one creepy-ass laugh.

Sol-Ratcht Saporro- Your wish is granted.

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Fox, but I do own Dante.

**Demon Slayer**

Dante rushed full speed at the demons, sword raised. Seven of them morphed back into their true forms, and turned their left arms into long, curved blades and ran at Dante. They tried to hit him, but he countered with a series of violent diagonal slashes, his blade cutting through their flesh like tissue paper. Their blood splattered on the ground, staining it black. In no time at all, their were only eleven left. Two had Krystal by the shoulders and were leading her off. Dante sprinted past the nine that remained to challenge him and caught up with Krystal and the two pseudo-humans. One of them drew a combat knife from their belt, but Dante severed it's hand, and drove his blade into the demon's chest. The other one picked up his fallen comrade's knife and drew his own. He ran at Dante, swinging the knives wildly. Dante expertly parried each blow, standing in one spot, barely shifting any other part of his body but his right arm.

Krystal took a few steps backward as she watched the swordsman and the demon fight. She saw the other nine approach and encircle the two fighters. They seemed not to notice her at all. She thought frantically to herself as to what she should do. _That guy's a human and we were at war with his people, so maybe I should leave him…No, that's not right, he saved me from those…things. If he dies, I'll have to deal with these freaks by myself. Maybe I should help him… _Coming to a decision, Krystal sprinted back to the transport knowing her weapons were still in the Arwing. When she reached the transport's access ramp she looked over to where the crowd of demons were. She heard a faint clinking of metal-on-metal, meaning that the two fighters were still going at it. She ran back to the bay where her Arwing was held and climbed into the cockpit. She found her blaster and her staff, which she carried with her on every mission in case she needed it. She picked up the staff and sprinted back out of the ship.

Dante still stood his ground, barely moving, though his opponent seemed hell-bent on taking him down. His arm began to grow tired. _This one persistent son of a bitch. _he thought, growing irritated. There was a sudden blast and one of the demons in the circle lurched forward and hit the ground, the back of it's skull smoking. They all looked at the source of the blast. Krystal was standing a few feet away, holding her staff. Taking advantage of the demons' sudden lapse of concentration, Dante sliced off his opponent's head and sprinted out of the circle. He skidded to a halt next to Krystal. The two looked at each other for a moment.

"Thanks." said Dante.

"Don't mention it." replied Krystal, smiling slightly.

They looked back at the eight remaining demons. They had morphed their left arms into blades, as well as what looked like thick silvery armor.

"This can't be good…" said Krystal taking a step back. Dante just smirked and cracked his neck. "I like a good challenge." he said. He ran at them and began slashing away at the nearest ones, his blade scraping their armor. They buckled slightly at his attacks but recovered. Krystal went after the ones that weren't being pummeled by Dante and hit them with a ground quake. About four of them flew up and landed on the ground stunned. One tried to get back up, but Krystal brought her staff hard against it's head, the force of the blow snapping it's neck. Another tried to get up, but was blasted in the face. The same fate befell a third demon. The fourth however brought it's blade above it's head and swung downwards. Krystal blocked the attack and the two grappled.

Dante continued to hack away at the demons' armor, determined to find a weak point. Then, he saw it. He swiped at two demons in front of him, cutting their throats open. They fell, blood spurting from their wounds. The other two stopped. They noticed their faces and throats were completely exposed. Before they could remedy this, Dante lunged at them and brought them down as well. He looked behind him and saw Krystal locked in a grudge match with the last demon. He hit it with a downward slash to it's back. The creature turned around, but was hit in the back of the head by Krystal. It turned to face them, but Krystal blasted it in the face.

Dante and Krystal looked around at the carnage they had caused. Demon bodies littered the ground, parts of which were stained with black blood. After about a minute, Krystal spoke. "What were those things?" she asked.

"Doppelgangers." replied Dante. "Shape-shifting demons." Krystal's eyes widened at this news and she just continued to stare at the bodies. Dante looked at her. _She reminds me of someone, but who?_ he thought. Krystal noticed him looking at her. "Something wrong?" she asked. "Nothing, nothing…" he said a little hastily. "Well thanks for saving me from those…things. I'm Krystal McCloud." she said holding out a paw. "Dante Roric." said the swordsman, shaking it.

Alrighty, that had to be the most action-packed chapter so far. I might introduce some more of Dante's team in the next chapter. Be sure to review on your way out.


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